Illuminating



M. ALDEN. ILLUMINATING APPLIANCE. APPuc'AT|ou man uov. I2. 1911.

1,311,790; Patented July 29,1919.

IN VEN TOR.

7 ATTORNEYS.

TN! COLUMBIA PLANOGIAPH \10. WAIHINMON. D. C V

MILTON ALDEN, OF SPRINGFTELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DENTAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, .MASSACH SETTS.. I

USETTS, A CORPORATION OF. MASSACHU- ILLUMINATING APPLIA CE,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1919.

Application filed November 12,1917. Serial in. 201,718.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MILTON ALDEN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Springfield, in the county of Hampden and the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulIm provements in Illuminating Appliances, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to supporting devices for electric lamps and more particularly to an improvedelectric lamp appliance, which is particularly adapted for illuminating the interior of the'mouth to facilitate dental, surgical, and other operations.

It is recognized that various devices have been heretofore provided for supporting an electric lamp within the mouth of a patient. The prior lamp supporting clevices used for this purpose, have, so far as I am aware, been constructed so that the flexible conductor cord extends out of the patients mouth in such a manner that it is either continually in the way of the dentist or may readily move into a position to interfere with free access to the mouth. Generally also 'thelamp is supported by clamps from the patients teeth or cheek or other equivalent means which are unpleasant and uncomfortable to the patient. Many of the devices heretofore provided are also bulky, awkward, and so arranged that theyoccupy an unduly large part of the patients mouth, leaving littleroom for dental operations. This invention is concerned, among other things, with the elimination of the above mentioned disadvantages.

An object of the invention isto-provide a supporting device for an electric lamp, which is adapted to hook around a corner of the patients mouth with the lamp positioned therein and to direct the electrical conductors for the lamp toward the backof the patients head, together with means to suspendthe support from the patients ear, the construction being characterized in that the lamp may be supported within the mouth without discomfort to thepatient and without materially obstructing or interfering with free access to the mouth.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following description and appended claims.

The invention, in. an embodiment at present preferred, is disclosed for illustrative purposes in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the lamp, its connections, and supportingmember;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a portion of Fig. 1;

Fig/3 is a cross sectional view of the lamp supporting arm; y l

Fig. 1 is a profile view illustrating the manner of supporting the lamp within a patients mouth; and j r Fig. 5 -is a face view showing the lamp as supported within the mouth interior. Referring to these drawings in detail;-a suitable socket 8 is arranged to receive an electric lamp? in the usual manner." The socket, however, is preferably of insulating material and is constructed similarly to the well-known water-proof and weatherproof sockets, to guard against the entrance of saliva into its interior and to prevent possible injury to the patient from accidental electrical shock. Socket 8 is suitably attached to the short leg of an arm 9, bent into substantially hook form, and arm 9 is purposely made hollow, as shown in Fig. 3, so that electrical conductors 10 may be conveyed therein from the socket to suitable terminals. The latter may be of any suitable type but, preferably for convenience, they consist of a pair of pins 11 (Fig. 2) secured in and projecting from an end of an insulating block 12 fixed on the end of the long leg of arm 9. A female socket member 13 is provided with spaced holes to receive pins 11, whereby a slip joint electrical connection between the conductors within arm 9 and a flexible conductor cord 14: may be made in a now well known manner. Preferably, a closely wound coiled spring 15 is slipped over cord 14 and is suitably fixed t0 the member 13 for the purpose of preventing the cord from bending sharply adjacent its connection to the latter. The spring 15 is substantially similar to and accomplishes the same function, as the spring used as a protective means on the flexible cords of electrical fiat-irons and the like. A bow 16 of spring wire, similar to the bow used in spectacles, is connected to turn on the part 15 by loosely coiling its lower end around the latter as indicated in Fi 1.

Tn use, the arm 9 is hooked around one corner of the patients mouth with the short 1 me o 1 1 Mame bta n d in leg of the'arm positionedwithin the latter. The members 12 and 13 are then eonn t'ed and new r 6 3s lio'oked 5 er-0'11" (l the ser es indieat'ed in -Fig. The e'ord of course, connected to a suitable sourceuqi' electricity to illumine lamp 7 2*"Whi1" th parts arethus positioned, the rays fromlamp'l' 1 are clirect'eu npdn the side of the jiwafid mouth interior oppositeto that on is located. By reason of its pivotal connection with part 1 5, the bow 1Q v may he swung through an arc ofsulostantially 180 degrees;

w eleys h upp rt rev r ib e n e imy thejlampand isipreferred.

A most inipertant; and advantageous fea: ture oftfhe construction descri bedyis in the ar gement W b th ofthedentistor Surgeon. The outer leg'joilf rm- .1Wh n s pported? deser ledwli s. bs a ly t gu 1 with the :p tienfis cheek; T and extends 4 ='rear af 1:1-y; afroin the," mouth sothait it cannot? in itself terfere Withfreeaocess to the mouth ofjjt I: V The inner leg'of arm ,9yis;-simi larlypositioned closely adj aoent thef nner Wall of: the

patients --cheek.-- The supply *Wi'res,; beii g V conveyed through the holloW-armf9,f are ditrested toward the 'back of-the patientsfl head. Thus the flexible cord, being'supportedjrom the ear of the patient, cannot;- readily get in eney'is to pass over-the patients shoulder;

as distinguished from the-devices heretofore u'sedgfor similar purposes, wherein-thejflexn ble-cord iswithout means to direct its-course ahd accordingly tends to get directly in the- Way-and. obstruct "themonth opening. -The lampsupporting device is thus characterized in-that-it may 'loe supported in a patients mouth 'Without inj ury-r o'r-discomfort to thjepatient and :in the "arrangement offi'parts; ="Where by the :lampfmay -be" supp 7 loosely engaging a, corner fth mou h fiupp tedbybow i i fym the ear, furni hem sati'sfactory suxpportj fo 'r;

ele t ic l. Wi es ema e on we Wigt ported in the described Way Without causing a material obstruction in or interfering yyith I 1 The invenuoinhae b "en desciibed herein for illustratiye purposes, but the-nope of theinventiofi is defined by the appended "Claims rather. than by the foregoing de L l im s- 1. A month illuminating appliance, comprising, an electric lamp, a lamp support- 1 .;i e enu v offled w hi he, m th. a d n r Pe l; be t-hackward y n. ewed; la i n herewi and dap e to hea -Positioned adjacent the cheek andexto 'ireernarglly hreefl; an e s a ap to suspend lielast namedpartfrom the ear; 2;, j mh llun' i 'ting appl n p i ing,-

ub tan ially kh p m m be, h ingoiheans t one en to PPQ t e11 electpic lamp electric conductors extending. fromaid. m a s, ndleil dby hem mb r o-it's her eedis dm mberadjpte o b hooked around meansadapteditoiengagethe ear and piv-' lly s j fspen v :thefle med end h fmm: i a

i lum nating app i n e, mpr in a h llow uphorting;de ic n n s stantiallyhook-form and provided at one end ith means t9 rjeceive'an electric'lamp,

cond cto s f om h tr'ext nd ng rough" said-device and emerging from the other end ofgfithe latter, memberihavmg a hook at one end; 'and its; other; endlo'osely coiled n me lenda f a dedevl e aiouhdffsaid conductors adjacent the lasthw eei pe t ptedvto e po upon; thefirst-named part one corner of the mouth wlth id. means; rp s l n h a d --:'4.-"A month illu'mmat ng appliance, comprising ane'lectrlc lamp, a lamp supporting mea'nsj -having apart; adapted to be posh ibn if W nt a kwardlyi up n"? h fi s ame .P in sp ce relation.- he ewitli Mid adapted to li'radj acenti the. cheek? "and; ito extend rear-;

Wardly therein m toward'ithe, ear, and electrie :condncto'rs extending from said. lamp along and: guided Joy said jneans. said means arranged tobe hookedaround'one corner of e the :x-nouth without olostructi'ng the latter and i;- said conductorsbein'g guided 'by said mean's away from the patients mouthand.

toward therear of z his head.

' MILTON ALDEN.

by addressing thiifithe mouth andjan otherpart 

